More on the reverse Sokal

Nathan Newman nathan at newman.org
Sun Nov 10 15:45:26 PST 2002


----- Original Message ----- From: "Jim Farmelant" <farmelantj at juno.com>
>So in your judgement are string theories best regarded as
>science or as metaphysics. given the apparent fact
>that they do not seem to admit to experimental verification
>or falsification?

The problem is that string theories are potentially verifiable by experiment, so they are not metaphysical is the most abstract sense. They meet the basic structure of a scientific theory that is subject to falsification. But the energy required for most obvious experimental proofs is so high that they are practically unverifiable.

So how to choose meta-theories like string theory or its alternatives in the meantime. Some argue that mathematical beauty and the ability to verify further mathematical understandings of the theory is a form of proof. But it's not clear what is gained in such situations other than a pretty theory. Which for some folks is enough.

-- Nathan Newman



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